1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to apparatus and method for controlling allocation of resources directed toward performing tasks.
2. Description of Related Prior Art
Frequently, real world applications involve the actions of multiple (semi-) autonomous units or teams, engaged in tasks directed toward the achievement of common goals, sharing a limited supply of essential resources, and operating in a dynamic, changing environment. Each member of a team has resources that may be required to complete tasks and/or has the ability to execute tasks given the necessary resources. Logistics is a prime example of one such application, but examples also include process control and flexible manufacturing in industry, commerce and quality in economics, and autonomous control and distributed robotics in engineering research. At the highest level, these problems are generally solved by hand based on human intuition and experience. Some algorithms and procedural techniques exist to help solve lower level components of the bigger problems.
The problems of resource negotiation, allocation, and general logistics are applicable to most industries. These include the military, manufacturers, and trading and commerce organizations. The problems are also important in engineering research areas such as robotics, artificial intelligence, autonomous control, and operations research.